Fort Erie: Top Ten List connects
Top Ten List, under a confident ride from jockey Corey Fraser, rallied for a 1 3/4-length victory in the $125,000 Rainbow Connection at Fort Erie.
Breaking from post 2 in the field of 10 Ontario-sired fillies and mares, Top Ten list stalked the pace in third place on the inside, then split the front-runners in midstretch and drove on to a convincing victory in the five-furlong turf race.
Top Ten List, the 126-pound highweight, was racing with blinkers for the first time in the Rainbow Connection.
"She got off a step slow," said Fraser. "I was able to sit back off them, so I let her do it."
Shot Gun Ela, who set the pace, held for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Bosskiri. Foxs Consort was another half-length back in fourth.
Top Ten List returned $3.70 and keyed a $22.70 exactor with Shot Gun Ela, the 9-1 fourth choice. The time was a brisk 57.69 seconds.
A 4-year-old owned by her trainer, Bob Tiller, in partnership with Frank DiGiulio, Top Ten List earned $75,000 while recording her fourth stakes victory. Her career bankroll now stands at $433,224.
"She was nice and relaxed off the pace," said Tiller. "She liked the grass down here; she's strictly grass. Corey rode a perfect race."- Bill Tallon